


Different Worlds

by jhspuff



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-20
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-10-24 15:03:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20707979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jhspuff/pseuds/jhspuff
Summary: Starting college in a brand new country thousands of miles from home can be intimidating. Especially when the first person you “meet” gives you less than a warm welcome…





	1. Chapter 1

The air was cold and bitter as you walked down the damp sidewalk. Sighing intently while gazing at the shimmering piles of snow spread along your path. A strong gust of icy wind hit against your face as you squeezed your eyes shut.

Coming from an area that had particularly harsh winters, this did not phase you in the least. In fact, it was a little comforting. The fact that although you were so many miles away from home if you closed your eyes, you could almost pretend as though you were there.

It’s not that you were homesick, not in the slightest. After all, you had only arrived in London a few days prior. It was more so due to the feeling of creeping anxiety that you’d experienced the past few days.

The thought of starting a new schooling experience in another country, so far from home, and with absolutely no friends, had left you with the heavyweight of dread in your stomach.

So, as you slowly came to a stop on the street, you reveled in the feeling of the freezing wind as you closed your eyes and thought of home.

-

When you arrived at the entrance of King’s College you couldn’t help but marvel at it for a moment. The old architecture was definitely a sight to behold, the aged look only further upholding its reputation.

This was it. This was where you would be spending the next two years of your life. A small chuckle escaped your lips as you looked around, and for the first time since before you boarded the plane to London, you felt not dread, but, excitement.

“Well…” you said out loud. “Let’s do this thing”

You made your way towards the large building and headed in the direction of your dorm. To your surprise, they had assigned you a private room. A part of you was disappointed in the realization that you wouldn’t be having a roommate, considering it was practically a requirement for that first-year university experience.

But, at the same time, you were relieved in the fact that you didn’t have to adjust to a new roommate on top of the many other things that were new experiences to you.

By the time you reached the inside of your room, you couldn’t feel the tip of your nose, and your fingertips were far from better. You lazily shrugged off your heavy down coat, tossing it to the side as you made your way towards the bed.

Rubbing your hands together as you stood with the back of your knees against the edge of the bed, you couldn’t help but to lean back and fall dramatically onto the soft surface. You closed your eyes slowly and smiled to yourself.

For some reason, you had a feeling that tomorrow was going to be an interesting day.

-

Oh, how right you had been. The day so far had truly been interesting. Although, maybe a more appropriate phrase would have been “stress-inducing”.

You had left your dorm, book bag in hand with the uttermost feeling of confidence. Today would be the day you started a new chapter in your life, and nothing was going to sully the moment.

That rush of confidence, however, instantly diminished around the second or maybe third wrong classroom you had walked into. You had realized that by this point you were already 15 minutes late to your first class and the anxiety was starting to sink in.

“Why is this school so fucking big” you let out with a frustrated sigh.

Just as you vigorously made your way around another corner, hoping that this would finally be the right hallway, you were abruptly stopped in your tracks. This being because you, of course, had run smack into somebody head-on.

You fell to the floor with a grunt as the man above you staggered slightly, steadying himself on the wall.

Dazed by the impact you could only bring yourself to gaze up slowly as a rush of embarrassment washed over you. However, any words you might have spoken instantly got caught in your throat at the sight of the man above you.

He was, to put lightly… insanely attractive.

His hair was a striking color of blonde, so light it appeared to be almost white. His eyes were a beautifully mysterious mix of gray and blue, and his skin was so pale you could easily notice his flush pink undertone.

You were so caught up in admiring the physical aspects of the man before that you didn’t sense his quick change in demeanor.

“Why don’t you stop your daydreaming and watch where you’re going. Some of us actually have places to be, believe it or not,”’ He spoke to you with a harsh tone as his face shifted into a slight scowl.

For a moment, you were at a loss for words. Completely taken back by his harsh tone and cold eyes. Of course, you thought. You’d never have the luck of running into anyone who was both extremely attractive and a decent fucking human being. It just had to be one or the other… but never both.

With a rather annoyed huff, you gathered yourself and stood on your feet again.

You gave the man in front of you a rather nasty scowl before simply saying “Whatever, asshole” and maneuvering past him to leave hastily.

You heard him scoff behind you as you made your way down the first corner you saw and for a brief moment you worried he might come after you to say something, but he didn’t.

Relieved at avoiding any further confrontation you set your hopes back on finding your class. As luck would have it, this ended up being the right hallway after all as you found your class a little further down and to the right. You opened the door anxiously as he whole class turned to look at what idiot managed to stumble in 20 minutes late on the first day. You shot an apologetic look to the professor, who seemed to hardly acknowledge your presence, as you briskly found an empty seat near the back. Hopefully, the rest of the people at this school weren’t as nasty as that annoyingly handsome boy had been…

Annoyed at yourself for even thinking he was handsome, you made it a rule to yourself that if you ever saw him again you would neither speak nor think about him. You outwardly nodded at this mental decision with a smile. You would prevail.

-

As the weeks went by you quickly became accustomed to your new life abroad. The classes were interesting and as it turned out, the people here were not as mean as you initially feared. To your surprise in fat, you had already made a friend.

Her name was Daphne, and she was in her second year at the university. You had met her in your Anthropology class during your first week. The professor had told you to turn to the person next to you and have a discussion based on the brief lecture she had just given. When you had turned you were quite shocked by the sight of the girl next to you. She was so elegant and poised as she sat in her chair that she somehow seemed out of place in the dimly lit classroom. Thoroughly intimidated just by the looks of her, you gave a weak smile and said hello. Her face, which had been previously set into a calm curious state, turned into a welcoming smile as she greeted you back with warm eyes.

You had found that your first impression of her was severely lacking in the realization of just how great she was. After getting to know her better during the discussion times in class, it only took a week before she was inviting you to have coffee with her during the mutual gap in both your schedules. You agreed with her proposal a bit too quickly and spoke almost a little too enthusiastically to her as you took quick sips of your drink, eager to get all the words out.

But instead of being put off by your surprisingly outgoing personality, she instead responded by getting a little giddy herself. She even went as far as too shove you a little and cover her mouth as a loud laugh escaped her lips at something you had said. Yes, it was easy to say that you had really found a friend here and things were going quite well.

-

It was a quiet Wednesday morning as you left your dorm room. You walked with quick steps as you made your way to your Anthro class, you were running a little bit late which wasn’t uncommon for you. You had the tendency to be a night owl which resulted in late starts and heavy bags under your eyes when you woke.

As you made your way into class, barely on time, you noticed that Daphne wasn’t in her usual seat. She was always in class well before you. It was odd for sure but you did remember something about her not feeling well yesterday. Perhaps she’s taking the day to herself.

You sat down in your seat as you glanced at the empty one next to you. Not having her here for the whole day would be a little odd but maybe you could use the alone time to get a little homework done in between classes.

Maybe you’d even visit her dorm when you were done for the day. You had once seen her walk into her dorm building as you parted ways for the night and figured it wouldn’t be hard to find out which room was hers once you got there. You didn’t think the other tenants would mind if you snooped around for a moment to find her room. Perhaps you could even ask someone to point you in the right direction. After all, people at this school happened to be quite friendly.

What could possibly go wrong?

-

When you walked into Daphne’s dorm building, you found that it was strikingly similar to yours. This shouldn’t really be a surprise though, after all, why would it be any different? Your dorm building was intended for the foreign students but this one still bared no major differences. The building had about five floors and long hallways. The walls were an eggshell white that oddly complimented the light grey carpeting. The glow from the fluorescent bulbs set a comfortable ambiance around you as you took note of the various pictures hung along the wall. Each one framing a different historical school event.

You walked aimlessly up and down the first two floors for a few minutes before deciding that you’d stop the next person you saw and ask if they happened to know where Daphne’s room was. Deciding that there was no need to wander all five stories like a fool if someone knew where you needed to go. You started to walk back the way you came when you noticed somebody heading in your direction. Walking a little faster, you smiled as you were about to greet them and ask for their help. But, as you neared, you felt yourself stop completely.

It was him.

It was the man you had run into on your first day. The first person you happened to meet here. That absolute dickhead.

He watched you with a curious gaze as you halted a few feet in front of him, coming to a stop himself. For a second it seemed as though he was just going to keep on walking as his gaze fixed back ahead. But then his eyes snapped back to your face as realization dawned on him.

“Oh,” he said as he awkwardly raised one arm up to point at you before quickly dropping it back to his side.

“You’re uh… you’re that girl who ran into me before, aren’t you? The one who called me an arse?” he asked.

You scoffed lightly at the way he put it before simply replying with “Yeah, that was me”

He seemed to falter for a moment at your unfriendly response before he let out a little sigh.

“Listen… I’m terribly sorry about the way I spoke to you before. I wasn’t having the best day and you just so happened to quite literally run into me during it” he said. “Also, I can tell by your accent that you aren’t from around here, are you? No worries… not all of us are quite as nasty as I am” he finished with a little laugh.

The tension in your shoulders eased as you watched the way his face broke into a small smile. He was very attractive at this moment and he had just apologized to you. So really there was no harm in being friendly now. Maybe even a little too friendly you briefly thought.

“No worries, I’m sorry I called you an asshole. I also wasn’t having that great of a day, to be honest” you spoke with a giggle. “And don’t worry… I don’t think you’re nasty. Well… not anymore at least” you smiled.

He chuckled and looked to the ground for a moment before raising his face to you again. He extended a hand and with a confident voice said “I’m Draco, by the way. Draco Malfoy”.

You took his hand cautiously, giving it a firm shake as little butterflies seemed to float around in your stomach. “I’m Y/N,” you told him with a nervous smile.

You could feel yourself losing your cool as you let go of his hand and brought it back to your side. He was handsome and charming… what a dangerous combination. Not to mention his name. What kind of fancy-ass shit is Draco Malfoy? You thought. Oh, you were screwed.

“Well, it’s lovely to meet you Y/N,” he said with a smirk. “Hopefully, we’ll be seeing each around sometime?” he asked curiously.

You faltered momentarily before nodding your head a little too enthusiastically. Mentally cursing yourself before you said, “Yeah, I’d like that”.

You’d tried to make it sound casual but by the way, he eyed you with that same confident smirk you could tell that he saw right through you.

He turned to leave as he flashed you another dazzling smile. “See you around then,” he said.

You nodded and began to walk away before you remembered why you had been here in the first place.

“Wait” you called out to him, hoping he’d turn around again.

You watched as he stopped ad turned to look at you with a questioning and somehow devious look on his face. He didn’t respond but you could tell he was waiting for you to say something.

“Would you happen to know where Daphne Greengrass’ room is?” you asked hopefully.

His eyes widened ever so slightly as a small wave of shock ran over his features.

“As a matter of fact, I do,” he told you with a questioning glance.

“Is she a friend of yours?” he asked curiously.

“She is, yeah,” you told him quickly. Hoping you weren’t coming off as some kind of weird stalker. What kind of friend doesn’t know the other’s dorm room anyway?

“She didn’t show up to class today and I got a bit worried. She mentioned not feeling well yesterday so I figured she may be in her room resting. I just want to check in” you spoke softly.

He appeared to be thinking something over for a moment before he responded.

“Of course” he started. “Her room is on the third floor, it’s on the right side somewhere. The door should have her first name and last initial taped on it if I remember correctly” he told you with a blank face.

You instantly sensed his mood change and wondered if maybe he and Daphne were on bad terms. It was obvious that they knew each other but you weren’t about to ask him how. Not when you barely knew him anyway.

“Thank you,” you told him cheerfully as you turned around and began to walk away briskly. You could feel his stare on you as you left. Something about that last interaction had been so odd. You were now very eager to find Daphne. Already going over all the questions you were planning to prod her with.


	2. Chapter 2

You scrunched your nose as a particularly strong whiff of vomit hit you once again. The smell could easily be described as one of the worst you’d ever encountered in your life and although you wanted to gag, yourself, you held in the urge and lightly patted Daphne’s back in an effort to comfort her as she emptied what little contents her stomach had had into the toilet. The sight before you was actually quite sad, poor Daphne, she had what could only be described as a very bad and particularly concerning flu.

When you had first arrived at her door you knocked with about three timid taps, not wanting to disturb her but very keen to ask her about all the scenarios you had swimming around in your mind. After that chance encounter with the man named Draco on the floor below, you had been pretty antsy to get some answers out of her. However, as soon as the door to her room opened ever so slightly, and you took in the sight of Daphne, all previous thoughts of the pretty blonde boy flew from your mind. She looked positively ghastly, standing there weakly before you. How could she have gotten so bad in just a day? You wondered to yourself.

After she had invited you in and apologized profusely for the mess of her room, she had stopped talking mid-sentence to stumble to the bathroom. Which is where you found yourself at now.

At the sound of the toilet flushing, you snapped back into reality. Daphne silently rose from her kneeled position on the floor and gave you a weak smile. “Here,” you said while extending an arm to wrap around her waist as you led her to her bed. She thanked you as laid her down and pulled the covers up to rest just below her chin. You took a seat on the floor next to her bed and crossed your legs patiently.

“So… how did you end up like this overnight,” you asked with a curious laugh, hoping to lighten the mood a little.

She groaned and turned to face the ceiling before letting out a small breathy laugh.

“Well, remember that girl, Tiffany that I had told you about?” she asked with a guilty tone in her voice.

You eyed her suspiciously as a smile spread across your face. “Hmmm sounds familiar,” you said while raising your hand to your chin and pretending to think.

Daphne rolled her eyes at you, fully aware you were teasing her right now.

“Let’s just say I didn’t know that she was sick when I invited her back to my room,” she told you with a childlike frown.

“That really backfired on you then, didn’t it” you laughed. “Don’t worry though, I’m sure you’ll be feeling better sooner than you think”.

“I hope you’re right. Lazing around in bed all day is most definitely not my idea of a good time” she sighed.

“I’ll be sure to bring you the notes from class as well. Wouldn’t want you to miss anything considering you could be bedridden for a few more days” you said empathetically.

She simply nodded at you and muttered a thank you before looking back up and dazing off slightly. It was silent for a few moments and you wondered if maybe she wanted you to leave so that she could rest. Just as you were about to ask though, she turned to you.

“Tell me what you did today. I’ve done nothing but stare at these four walls and puke my guts out in here” she said with a grimace. “Tell me about how the outside world is” she spoke rather dramatically. “What have I missed?”

You began to tell her about your day, as boring as it had started, not leaving out any minuscule detail. You wondered if it was boring her but she seemed to be listening intently. You told her about what you ate for breakfast, how your classes went, what you did for your lunch, and even about the adorable dog, you had seen jumping through the snow piles on campus as you made your way to her dorm building. But when you got to the part of your day where you had met Draco, you stopped talking. Was it the right time to bring this up? What if it upset her somehow? You thought to yourself.

The concerned look on your face must have been obvious though because Daphne was suddenly rising out of her bed to come to a sitting position, looking at you worriedly, she asked what was wrong.

“Daphne, do you maybe know someone by the name of Draco Malfoy?” You asked her with an unsure voice.

Her expression changed almost instantly upon hearing your words. A deep scowl set across her sick face, eyebrows furrowed in anger.

“Unfortunately… I do,” she said in a surprisingly calm voice before looking at you with a very serious expression. “Why? How do you know him? What did he tell you?”

Just by looking at her you could tell that she was clearly distressed. You felt awful. The one thing you hadn’t wanted to do was upset her but, of course, that’s just what you had managed to do. She was staring at you know, unwavering as she waited for an answer from you.

“Well, I don’t know him REALLY, per se. I only just properly met him before coming to your room. He was actually the one who’d told me where it was.” You told her anxiously, studying her eyes to see if this answer eased her tension in any way.

“That’s it? He just introduced himself and casually pointed you in the direction of my dorm room?” She asked with doubtful eyes.

You swallowed back the lump in your throat as you thought out your reply. You didn’t want to upset her any more than you already had. But at the same time, if you didn’t tell the whole truth now it would come out eventually. So, it was better to be truthful from the start. “Well… not exactly” you began.

Daphne simply looked at you, slowly folding her arms, and nodding her head in a manner of silently saying “go on”.

“The first time I met him if you could even call it that, was on my first day. I was running late for class and was very lost when I smacked into him coming around a corner. He said something rude about how I needed to stop daydreaming because he had places to be. Then I called him an asshole and left.” You finished with a huff.

Daphne seemed somewhat satisfied with your answer so far as you noticed her folder arms had begun to relax into her lap. “So, that was the first time you two met? Sounds like him alright” she stated with a scoff. “What else did he say though when you met again today?”

“At first I don’t think he recognized me… but then he quickly pointed out that I was the girl who had called him an asshole. I thought he was going to rude to me again but he actually apologized which really threw me off at the time. Told me he had just had a bad day.” You told her, lingering on your own words as you replayed the encounter in your head. Remembering just how flustered you had been while he lightly flirted with you. How embarrassing, you thought as you felt a little heat rise back to your cheeks.

“He is quite charming, to be fair. Although, I’d personally consider it one of his worst qualities. You never really know what that tricky bastard is thinking” she spat. Her eyes lingered on you for a moment more and she could tell that that wasn’t all to the story. “What happened after, then?”

“When I had asked if he happened to know you and where your room was it was like his whole demeanor shifted. He went from being friendly to appearing a little standoffish. I was pretty confused but felt it best not to press on it, especially to someone I barely knew… he told me that he did know you and asked how we knew each other. So I told him that we were friends and after that, I kind of just left because the mood suddenly felt a lot different” you told her as you began to fiddle with the hem of your sweater.

Daphne simply nodded as she focused her gaze intently on the edge of her bed. 

“Right… well, I suppose I ought to tell you a little backstory then. I assume that you’ve got a lot of questions seeing as you’re kind of just thrown into the mix here” she said with a sigh.

You simply nodded your head and brought your hands together on your lap. “If you don’t mind,” you whispered to her.

“I guess you could say that we were childhood friends…” She began, still intently fixated on her footboard.

Daphne proceeded to tell you a rather long story about how she and Draco had in a way grown up together. This was because both their families were of a “similar background” as she put it. You weren’t quite sure what that meant but you assumed it was just her polite way of saying that they were rich.

She mentioned that they were close but not best friends or anything of that sort. Simply to people who understood what life was like for the other. Apparently, they had even gone to the same school together since they were young. But, things changed after she had gone off to college and he had stayed behind to work with his father. Daphne said that Draco had started an argument with her about going to university. He had told her it was a waste of time to mix with the common folk and sit in a stuffy classroom learning about useless things. The fight only escalated from there as he insulted the life she chose for herself and they parted ways, not speaking at all for two whole years.

Interestingly enough though, the first time that you had run into Draco was the same day as when Daphne had met him again after all that time. They spotted each other that morning when she entered her dorm building to get something she’d left behind. Supposedly he had just been standing in the hallway of the first floor when they awkwardly greeted each other. She invited him up to her dorm with her so that they could catch up while she grabbed what she needed. Hoping that by him being here he had come around to her way of thinking somehow.

But, she had been wrong. After they got talking it had turned out that he wasn’t there quite of his own accord, although, quite suspiciously, he wouldn’t give her any of the details.

Then he expressed that he was disappointed to see her here “keeping this whole thing up”. Which had, of course, set her off, and rightfully so. They had argued quite furiously again after that, throwing insults back and forth at each other before he finally stormed off. Leaving her there fuming and with plenty of unanswered questions.

“You know, after all this time he hasn’t changed at all. Has he?” Daphne asked you but it seemed like she was really questioning herself.

“Listen, I know he’s handsome and somewhat of a sweet talker, but as someone who has had the misfortune of knowing him for so long…” she started while cautiously watching your reaction. “Don’t go getting involved with him if you can help it” she breathed to you calmly.

“Okay… don’t worry” was all you said.

You then looked to the window and noticed how the sun was slowly setting, reflecting off the snow with mesmerizing light.

You smiled to Daphne and stood up again, telling her that it was getting late but you’d be back to visit her tomorrow with notes from your shared Anthro class. She wished you a good night as well and snuggled into her covers, letting her sickness completely knock her out once more.

By the time you had made it back to your own dorm room, your head was being bombarded with a million thoughts at once. You had learned so much more about this Draco guy than you thought you would and you suddenly felt a little embarrassed for drooling over him so easily before. You didn’t want to think he was as bad as Daphne said after your mildly flirty exchange in the hallway before but you knew that she couldn’t possibly have any reason to lie to you.

Still, you found yourself overly curious about Draco’s side of the story. It wasn’t that you wanted him to be different than Daphne had described… but, maybe a small part of you hoped that that was the case.

-

The weeks that followed went by in a flash. Daphne recovered from her flu about 3 days after your first visit to her. She was now back to her elegant and bubbly self, which brought you a lot of comfort. It had been a little lonely going around campus with no one to talk to.

But now you were nearing your midterms as you and Daphne spent several hours a night in the library going over notes and even helping each other with the classes that you didn’t share. You weren’t too nervous about how the tests would go but your future at this school did kind of depend on it. You were a scholarship student, after all, no way could you afford to attend this place out of your own pocket, God forbid your parents’.

Yawning as you reread the same line in your overly wordy Psych textbook for what was probably the fifth time, something out of the corner of your eye caught your attention. Well, not something, but someone.

It was Draco. He had just entered the library when you noticed him, his strikingly light hair instantly catching your gaze. You glanced over to Daphne, careful to only move your eyes, to find that she was still nose deep in her textbook, rapidly highlighting sentences. You mentally let out a sigh of relief, not knowing what would happen if she saw him here in her safe study space.

When you went to look back at Draco, however, your heart leaped. He was already looking at you with a rather intense stare. His body was leaning casually against a tall bookshelf as he pretended to skim through a small brown book, while his eyes remained on you even after he had been caught.

You hated the way your heart was pounding just by looking at him. You had hardly thought of him the last few days considering all your impending deadlines. Yet here he was right in front of you. Saying nothing but somehow demanding your attention.

The heat in your face was rising as your heartbeat grew rapid and your mind sputtered. Why were you even getting flustered over him now? You had spoken to him before and hadn’t felt hardly as nervous as you did at this moment… what was so different about him now? What had changed? You wondered if maybe… there was just something particularly exhilarating about the way he stared at you with an unreadable expression. Or maybe… there was just something so enticing about the fact that you couldn’t look away, even though you knew you really should.

Then, just as you began to wonder if he could notice just how nervous his unrelenting gaze was making you, he smirked. This simple action made your eyes widen slightly in shock. He had smirked at you, tucked the book he was holding under his arm, and disappeared around the corner.

You sat there completely dumbfounded as you went over the action in your head a few times, wondering what the hell that smirk was supposed to mean. Somehow you felt like he was playing with you. Daphne had said he was a sweet talker, sure. But, somehow he made you completely transfixed without using any words at all. Something about his aloof nature just drew you in. Like a moth to a flame. Although, you had a feeling in the back of your mind that if you got too close… you’d get burned.

Glancing over to Daphne again you noticed that she was contently jotting down some notes on her flashcards as her tongue stuck out of the corner of her mouth, ever so slightly, in deep concentration. Completely oblivious to what had just happened right in front of her.

But maybe, that was for the best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I posted this one a day earlier than I had planned to because I was just so eager to get it out haha. I hope you all like it. I know the story is progressing a little slow so far but I promise it will pick up a lot more soon.


	3. Chapter 3

After the odd encounter with Draco in the library, you had trouble getting him off your mind. You’d think about him during the oddest times of the day. Finding yourself wondering about what he was up to and what exactly he had been thinking while he stared at you before. Was it some kind of game to him? Was it a threat? Could he maybe be interested in you?   
Way too many questions and what-ifs buzzed in your head.  
A part of you found it a little ridiculous how easily you were letting this guy invade your mind. Perhaps you were just romanticizing the whole situation? From an outsider’s perspective the whole thing probably just looked like two people weirdly staring at each other in silence before one of them walked away.   
Yes, the more you thought about it the more you realized that you were being quite silly. Acting like some love-struck teenager. The kind that would go home and write her crush’s name all over her notebook.   
You would not let yourself get to that point. Especially not over a man you had been specifically warned about by your closest friend. You hoped that at the very least you had enough sense to heed her warning.  
So, you decided to forget about him. Throw him from your mind and shake off whatever feelings lingered from the library incident. You owed it to Daphne and to yourself not to go gaga over some guy you barely knew.  
To your surprise you were quite successful with pushing him from your thoughts, easily going back to your daily routine with no interruption.  
Your midterms went by without a hitch. All that studying really paid off as got your grades back. You and Daphne celebrated the victory over lunch, excitedly gushing about how things were going so well for the both of you. Your school life was looking up, Daphne was having success in her personal relationships, and you were just happy to be making something of yourself. The sense of achievement was euphoric in its own way. A smile never leaving your face the whole day and as you looked around campus you could see the slightest hint of spring approaching. You had never been happier.  
-  
“What do you mean you can’t have coffee after class today?” You asked Daphne curiously. She almost never canceled on your little afternoon hangouts.  
“Well… things have been going well with Jessica and I figured you wouldn’t mind if I canceled on you… just this once! I promise I won’t make a habit of it or anything! Don’t be mad!” She pleaded to you with puppy dog eyes.  
There was no way you could be upset with her over something like this. Everyone deserved the chance to build their romantic life. You weren’t the type to stand in the way of that just because you had none. Plus you had met Jessica once before and she seemed as nice as they came. Quite beautiful too. You were sure Daphne was proud of that although she’d never brag about it.  
“Of course I’m not mad,” you smiled at her.  
“You deserve to have some fun! Don’t let my single ass slow you down” you laughed while nudging her shoulder.  
“Thank you” she grinned.  
“Have fun tonight” you smirked at her, adding a suggestive wink just to tease.   
She only blushed at your comment before laughing some more and running off, bidding you one last thank you as she left.   
You were glad she had someone worth running off to like that. Smiling to yourself over the whole thing you began to walk off campus slightly. Maybe a change of scenery would be nice? You were sure there was a nice café somewhere along the road that could offer you some quiet time alone.  
Walking down the street you couldn’t help but admiring the buildings around you. They were old looking and came in various shades of brown. But something about the atmosphere was so calming. Even though you had been living in London for a few months now you still spent most of your time on campus. It was nice there of course but you enjoyed moments like this where you could simply walk around and take in all the things that lie before you.  
Coming to a stop on a corner you looked to the right to see a little café peeking out ever so slightly from the various buildings. It looked small and inviting, and as you venture closer you could smell the strong aroma of various coffees and teas being brewed. It was perfect.  
As you made your way into the shop, pushing past a small green door, a little bell announced your arrival. The layout inside the shop was just as you imagined. Dim lighting, various chairs, and couches spread out, small circular and square tables propped throughout, and a large chalkboard displayed in the back listing the various drinks offered.  
You went to the little counter and greeted the woman behind it with a polite hello. She smiled at you warmly while you ordered your drink; opting for a nice herbal tea. You went to find an empty chair in the corner where you could think peacefully, feeling absolutely delighted to find an empty stool and round table near the back. As you set your tea down and settled into your seat you couldn’t help but bask in the peaceful ambiance. Life was going good for you. What could really stop it now…  
The sound of a little bell broke you out of your thoughts as your eyes drifted over to the entrance door. Someone had just come into the quiet shop as well and to your utter astonishment, it was none other than Draco Malfoy.  
You gaped at him from your little corner in disbelief. Just when you had felt so relaxed and peaceful the one person who was guaranteed to set you on edge literally walks through the door.  
The good thing was that he hadn’t seemed to notice you yet. You took a mental note at how much he stood out inside the quaint establishment. His perfect posture, neatly styled hair, and rather expensive looking clothing was rather eye-catching in contrast to the dimly lit café.  
His back was to you at the moment while he spoke to the worker. You noticed how even though she smiled warmly to you, she was glowing at the sight of him. Staring into his eyes and laughing a little too loudly at whatever he was saying. It was quite a curious sight indeed.  
Busy studying the interaction between the two, you realized immediately when he had turned around, now facing you. For a moment his eyes scanned over the room lazily; most likely in search of a seat. But then they stopped on you. He seemed just as shocked to see you there as you had been to see him moments ago. However, he quickly drew a blank face and began to saunter over towards you.  
Your pulse quickened as you watched him draw near, totally unsure of what to do in this situation. All you could do was gulp nervously as he came to a stop in front of you.  
“Hello again” he greeted you with a friendly smile.  
“H-hello,” you said, regretting you’d ever come into this café, to begin with.  
“Fancy seeing you here. Do you mind if I join you?” He asked while gesturing to the empty stool across from you.  
You timidly nodded your head no as you muttered a quiet “sure, go ahead” to him, completely frazzled by the situation.  
He sat down with a content kind of sigh as he set his drink down in front of yours; the dark black liquid of his drink standing out against the light color of your own.  
“So, I take it Daphne didn’t waste any time in slandering my name, did she?” he asked with an oddly amused smirk.  
“What exactly makes you think that?” you asked, hoping to defend Daphne in a way.  
“I came to the conclusion on my own after seeing you two in the library before. You glanced at her with a look of dread after I walked in. I take it you didn’t want her to know I was there?” he inquired.  
“You’ve caught me” you admitted with a sheepish grin, not wanting him to feel angry with you but also wishing for this interrogation to end.  
“I suppose I won’t ask you what she told you. I figure the truth to be worse than my assumptions” he said while slowly glancing from your face down to your thumb; which had been nervously tapping against the table this whole time.  
“I’m sure you had your own reasons for doing things…” you spoke in an effort to provide him reassurance.  
He seemed surprised by your response, one eyebrow raising slightly in surprise. He smiled then as he brought a hand up to rest under his chin.  
“Thank you for providing me with the benefit of the doubt” he chuckled.  
“Anytime” you muttered while shifting your gaze away from his smiling face.  
A moment of silence occurred as you took a few small sips of your tea, loving the way the warm liquid soothed your throat; calming you ever so slightly.  
“Tell me, Y/N what brings you to London?” he asked, breaking the silence.  
You blinked at him slowly setting down your cup and peering into his grey eyes.  
“Well… after I graduated high school I spent two years working and traveling the world. I found that seeing new things and meeting new people was what I loved more than anything.” You told him as a smile eased onto your face. “Then I figured that if I was going to go college I might as well do it abroad.”  
He nodded at your words seemingly interested in what you were saying.  
“What made you decide to go to university?” he asked.  
“Mostly it was what my parents wanted for me. They were afraid I’d have no real future without any further education” you admitted to him; leaving out the part where you were offered a full-ride scholarship, somehow feeling embarrassed at the thought of him knowing that much.  
He seemed to be thinking for a moment as his eyes peered down into his cup. You wondered if maybe you had told him too much and he was starting to feel awkward… As if your mind wasn’t reeling enough he slowly looked up to meet your eyes and opened his mouth as if to say something. But quickly closed it as if changing his mind. You shifted your eyes away from his face quickly feeling a little uncomfortable at the silence.  
Breaking the silence, you heard him hum lightly in response as he nodded his head.  
“Well, all things considered, I hope you’re feeling as though coming here to study was a good decision?” he asked you softly after a few seconds of contemplation.  
Relief washed over you at the sound of his words. His voice was smooth and attractive. It reassured you for reasons you couldn’t quite comprehend.  
You smiled at him timidly. “I don’t think I’ve ever been happier”’ you said with a content little hum.  
At that moment it was like time stood at a still. You looked into his eyes wondering what it was about him that was so inviting and in turn, he looked in yours. But his expression was almost unreadable.   
The conversation went from a little touchy and personal to simply easy going and friendly.  
You began to tell him about some of the things you’d noticed while in London. What the people did differently, what you thought of the food, and how you were enjoying the university lifestyle.  
He listened to you intently, smiling at your words and laughing lightly ever now and then. You found that you quite liked the sound of it… his laughter.   
It was easy to talk to him. He was kind, polite, and the more you spoke to him the lighter you felt.  
You knew what this feeling was. You didn’t fall for people easily but when you did it tends to be intense and distracting; wasting no time in completely taking over your mind.   
Maybe you should have been a little worried at this realization but when you looked at him across from you, smiling at you like you were the most interesting person he’d ever met, you found that you didn’t care.  
After all, it couldn’t hurt to harbor just a little crush on him… could it?   
Completely lost in the conversation you neglected to glance at your watch even once. But to your luck, Draco seemed to remember such detail as he glanced at his own and furrowed his brow.  
He gave a kind of defeated sigh before giving you a sorry smile.   
“I hate to end this lovely conversation but it’s already a quarter past 2 and I-“ but before he could finish your body immediately shot upright from your relaxed position; startling him a little as his words broke off.  
“It’s already that late?” you asked frantically while getting up from your stool, quickly collecting yourself.   
He watched with wide eyes as you stumble around in front of him, preparing to leave, sending him a quick explanation of being late for your next class as you rushed towards the door. You shot out a little yell of sorry as you stumbled back onto the street.   
You began to quickly walk down the street in the direction of your school, mind racing with regret. How could you have let yourself completely lose track of time like that? It was very unlike you. You frowned a little at the internal realization of why you had been so distracted.   
“Hey! W-wait!” you heard a yell come from behind you as you turned to see Draco jogging up to you.   
You stopped briefly, heart racing, you looked at him expectantly.  
“You left before I could ask you” he laughed while running a hand through his hair in efforts to smooth it a little.  
“Ask me what?” you questioned anxiously. Partially due to the fact that you were running late but mostly because at hearing his words your mind began to swim with thoughts of what he could mean by that.  
“Will you meet me later?” he asked you with a smile. The same smile you had seen throughout your time in the café. A wonderful eruption of butterflies burst in your stomach as you felt the heat rise to your face.  
“O-of course” you responded, visibly nervous now.  
He smirked a little at your obvious shift in behavior before he spoke again.   
“Brilliant, Meet me back here at 8?” he asked gesturing down towards the café you’d both just left.   
You smiled timidly before nodding your head a little.  
“Yeah, I’ll be there,” you told him as you glanced ahead again. The worry of being late to class slowly fading as you took in this moment.  
“See you then,” he said to you while putting a hand into his pant pocket as the other rubbed the back of his neck a little.  
Your heart fluttered again at the sight before you turned on your heel and began to race off towards campus. You waved by to him as you left, promising to see him later and without looking back.   
By the time you made it to class, you noticed that you were about 20 minutes late. You sheepishly grinned at your professor (who couldn’t be bothered to question you) as you scurried to take a seat in the back of the class.   
As you settled into your seat a feeling of elation washed over you. Your mind was replaying every second of being with Draco in the café and the more you thought about it the more you couldn’t help the smile from breaking out onto your face.   
8 pm was all you repeated to yourself as you watched the professor ramble on and quickly scribble some things on the chalkboard. The classroom around you carried on as normal but your mind was stuck in an abyss. One that you didn’t particularly care to pull yourself from…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Ok so it took me a minute to write this one because I’ve been pretty busy lately. I apologize that this is a pretty uneventful chapter but I promise the next part is when it really starts to pick up. I kind of just needed to establish this one to get the ball rolling haha.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!! So, as you can see I’ve started something here that I’m actually really into. I have a lot planned for this and many themes are to come. I might be posting this a little early but I just wanted to get it out there I guess haha. Any feedback is appreciated :)


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